- Chelsea roll over tamely for Brighton in their third defeat in their last four games
- Pundit Gary Neville singles out a Chelsea star who he says is ‘learning on the job’
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Will Liverpool recover from Everton blow in season-defining week?
Gary Neville stuck the knife into Chelsea after their dismal 3-0 defeat by Brighton on Friday night.
It was an evening to forget for Enzo Maresca’s men as their grip on a top-four place in the Premier League loosened.
Chelsea have won just three matches in their last 11 in all competitions and have lost to Brighton twice within a week – having been knocked out of the FA Cup by the Seagulls last Saturday.
It is a dramatic turnaround in form from the side who looked set to mount a Premier League title challenge just six weeks ago.
And Gary Neville singled out one Chelsea star whose recent performances have been worrying him.
In the build-up to Brighton’s third goal – and Yankuba Minteh’s second – Levi Colwill weakily ceded possession to Danny Welbeck, falling to the floor in the process.
Gary Neville believes that Levi Colwill, here battling with Tariq Lamptey, has to get stronger
Colwill lost possession weakly in the build up to Yankuba Minteh’s second goal of the night
Neville did add that it’s a tough ask for Colwill to be given so much responsibility at 21 years old
It was a moment that Neville feels sums up the 21-year-old’s game over the last month or so.
‘Colwill’s got to get stronger,’ Neville told Sky Sports.
‘He’s getting overpowered quite easily in games I’ve seen recently. In three games I’ve seen, he’s been bullied in that channel.
‘And that one [goal] was obviously a really bad one for him. He gives the ball away then he sits down on the floor, turns around and looks. He spends two or three seconds on the floor. He basically should get up and sprint back. So, that’s a bad habit.’
Neville, however, was quick to temper his comments by pointing out that Colwill is very young to be playing in the centre of defence for one of the biggest clubs in the country without much experience around him.
‘I would say he is still young, he has a lot of learning to do – as have lots of other young Chelsea players that are playing in these types of positions,’ Neville added.
‘But they’ve got to get stronger. They’ve got to get really physical and aggressive.
‘It’s tough when you are a young centre-half who hasn’t maybe developed fully yet. He’s learning on the job and it’s hard work for him at the moment.’
